Bear Down Wildcats

... reportedly will be returning next year. This time as a graduate assistant.

That is great to hear. If Tarc can hold onto the damn ball this team could be scary good.

Outstanding.

I don't see this info at teh old site - too many people bitching.

Good on the exilers!!

Great news about Blair!

Nice...I thought he was leaving

KaibabKat wrote:... reportedly will be returning next year. This time as a graduate assistant.

Awesome news!

Any update on Book's status?

catgrad97 wrote:Any update on Book's status?

Was it ever in question? He's back next year.

Hey CG97!

We know this site has made it when the info from here is stolen and put up over there, LOL

ElGatoBlanco wrote:

catgrad97 wrote:Any update on Book's status?

Was it ever in question? He's back next year.

After the Craig Victor/PGU recruiting fiasco, it was in serious doubt for months.

Glad to hear he'll be back. This is going to be the strongest staff Miller's ever had at Arizona.

Success breads success...

Awesome to hear!

catgrad97 wrote:

ElGatoBlanco wrote:

catgrad97 wrote:Any update on Book's status?

Was it ever in question? He's back next year.

After the Craig Victor/PGU recruiting fiasco, it was in serious doubt for months.

Glad to hear he'll be back. This is going to be the strongest staff Miller's ever had at Arizona.

Lol that was damn near a year ago. Plus I doubt a guy who's quoted as saying he wore #97 the entire AAU season because of Arizona was ever going anywhere other than Arizona. The kid playing with the media wasn't Book's fault.

My fifth post on this site and already EGB is giving it flak.

Hey CST: Good to be home.

ElGatoBlanco wrote: Plus I doubt a guy who's quoted as saying he wore #97 the entire AAU season because of Arizona was ever going anywhere other than Arizona.

Damn I didn't know that. That is awesome. I use 97 or 1997 a lot when a simple secret code is needed around the house with electronics or whatever.

catgrad97 wrote:Any update on Book's status?

Was the medical leave of absence "real?"

If it was to get away from what Ace has been smoking, then yes.

Coaches get tested?

KaibabKat wrote:... reportedly will be returning next year. This time as a graduate assistant.

Great news. I know he doesn't want to coach due to his other commitments (charity/family) but he has really made some progress with the bigs.

Never understand Pastner coaching the bigs under Lute, but Blair is a nice fit.

merkin wrote:

KaibabKat wrote:... reportedly will be returning next year. This time as a graduate assistant.

Never understand Pastner coaching

Me either Merk.

Sean and Joe should start a band: The Blair Witch Project.

The ending's to their songs would be horrible.

Just their early stuff ...

KCF wrote:The ending's to their songs would be horrible.

LOL, good one!

Shit...

staff shakeup!

It wasn't unexpected...he's a grad student coach...

Baby Blair didn't want to coach did he? I think he said he wanted to devote more time to his charity than coaching allowed.

EDIT:

Looks like he was forced out?

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/ ... ram-052015

The former Wildcats player turned on Wednesday confirmed he has "no position" with the team. His bio was no longer on Arizona's website.

Blair played for Arizona in the mind 1990s and then played overseas for more than 10 years before he returned to earn his degree last summer after helping Arizona as an under graduate assistant. Last season he was a graduate manager helping Arizona's big men. The affable and popular Blair said he hopes to continue coaching, "but only God knows what awaits me at this point."

The Star has a similar story.

"I would love to continue coaching but until that situation presents itself, I will be advocating for the community as I always have," wrote Blair, who is vacationing out of the country.

Seems kinda odd. There must be more to this.

Same thing strange is afoot here...

The news that Blair was leaving did not surprise me because I thought it was expected (he was a GA/GM), and that he did not want to be involved in coaching. His recent tweets / comments suggest otherwise.

I don't buy the Stoudamire story, either... I wish him the best, but there is more to that story than meets the eye. I am sure he will get to see his sons more often (Memphis certainly is closer), but with the demands on his time it's not going to give him the opportunity to be really "involved". I wondered if his departure was initiated by Miller, given the speed with which a replacement was officially named. This Blair situation makes me wonder even more...

Harvey Specter wrote:Same thing strange is afoot here...

The news that Blair was leaving did not surprise me because I thought it was expected (he was a GA/GM), and that he did not want to be involved in coaching. His recent tweets / comments suggest otherwise.

I don't buy the Stoudamire story, either... I wish him the best, but there is more to that story than meets the eye. I am sure he will get to see his sons more often (Memphis certainly is closer), but with the demands on his time it's not going to give him the opportunity to be really "involved". I wondered if his departure was initiated by Miller, given the speed with which a replacement was officially named. This Blair situation makes me wonder even more...

I'm not sure what one would have to do with the other, especially since Blair was a grad assistant.

If Blair had replaced Damon, then I could see where you were going with that, but a coach and a grad assistant leaving in the same year is not unheard of.

Blair was excellent for Zeus. Guy was a 280lb wall

Do we actually know how good these guys were at their jobs? I can recall the lobbying for Miles Simon to be an assistant, but did he turn out to be effective? Coaching isn't playing. Different skill-sets.

Shouldn't be a popularity contest. All things equal, take a Wildcat. If not equal, take the better candidate.

Jefe wrote:Blair was excellent for Zeus. Guy was a 280lb wall

Zeus needs Jordan to come in this summer and teach him that hook shot

gumby wrote:Do we actually know how good these guys were at their jobs? I can recall the lobbying for Miles Simon to be an assistant, but did he turn out to be effective? Coaching isn't playing. Different skill-sets.

Shouldn't be a popularity contest. All things equal, take a Wildcat. If not equal, take the better candidate.

Amen. Arizona basketball didn't become Arizona basketball by hiring alums as coaches. If anything when we started hiring alums as assistants that started or maybe merely signified the downfall of the program under Lute. More assistants like Jessie Evans, Rodney Tention, and Jay John please. For what it's worth I believe grad assistants roles are very limited, so I don't think this is a crushing blow to Arizona or anything.

Harvey Specter wrote:Same thing strange is afoot here...

The news that Blair was leaving did not surprise me because I thought it was expected (he was a GA/GM), and that he did not want to be involved in coaching. His recent tweets / comments suggest otherwise.

I don't buy the Stoudamire story, either... I wish him the best, but there is more to that story than meets the eye. I am sure he will get to see his sons more often (Memphis certainly is closer), but with the demands on his time it's not going to give him the opportunity to be really "involved". I wondered if his departure was initiated by Miller, given the speed with which a replacement was officially named. This Blair situation makes me wonder even more...

I think Miller always wanted Phelps and the second he had a spot open he was going to take him. I mean he was the runner up to Stoudamire for the job a couple of years ago, so the fact that he was the choice to replace Stoudamire so quickly shouldn't be much of a surprise. Also not sure what Blair running out of grad coaching ability has to do with anything though. Seems like a major reach.

Commend Miler. Time for some of these guys to get a new hobby

ChooChooCat wrote:

Harvey Specter wrote:Same thing strange is afoot here...

The news that Blair was leaving did not surprise me because I thought it was expected (he was a GA/GM), and that he did not want to be involved in coaching. His recent tweets / comments suggest otherwise.

I don't buy the Stoudamire story, either... I wish him the best, but there is more to that story than meets the eye. I am sure he will get to see his sons more often (Memphis certainly is closer), but with the demands on his time it's not going to give him the opportunity to be really "involved". I wondered if his departure was initiated by Miller, given the speed with which a replacement was officially named. This Blair situation makes me wonder even more...

I think Miller always wanted Phelps and the second he had a spot open he was going to take him. I mean he was the runner up to Stoudamire for the job a couple of years ago, so the fact that he was the choice to replace Stoudamire so quickly shouldn't be much of a surprise. Also not sure what Blair running out of grad coaching ability has to do with anything though. Seems like a major reach.

Pretty much nailed it. Wasnt' like he called up JB and said "you're fired" like the Donald. So much ado about nothing

Love JB.

Wondered where he ended up. Thought he didn't want to get into serious coaching due to his Tucson based charity.